Avengers 1959 To Get Their Own Book?

Tom Brevoort reveals that one of the coolest ideas in New Avengers could get its own spinoff, and he promises a return for the Guardians of the Galaxy.

In the latest Cup o' Joe over at CBR, Marvel Editor Tom Brevoort opens the doors for a look behind the scenes at the decision-making process about what does and doesn't constitute an Avengers book, but he also gives some hints about some future projects, including a "probable" spin-off for the 1959 edition of the Avengers that we've just learned Nick Fury and Dum Dum Dugan put together to go hunt runaway Nazis. The fun new/old team, created by Brian Michael Bendis and drawn by Howard Chaykin (interspersed with modern-day art from Mike Deodato in The New Avengers), consists of a motley mix of old-school characters like Dominic Fortune, Ulysses Bloodstone and the original Silver Sable, the father of the Silver Sablinovia we have today. There's also the interesting inclusion of Victor Creed, aka Sabretooth, and Sergei Kravinoff, better known as the original Kraven, who also happens to be involved with Namora, of all people. The fact that Creed and Kraven have some kind of long-standing enmity already in 1959 is awesome and fascinating, too.

Brevoort said:

It's entirely possible, and in fact probable, that when we're done here, we'll do an "Avengers 1959" project of some sort because we've now set the table for these characters and have given them a nice big spotlight. I know there are one or two ideas that Howard has had and that Brian has had for follow-ups. And because it's an outgrowth of what's happened and not just painting "Avengers" on the side of the thing so that people don't notice it doesn't have anything to do with anything, we can use the Avengers name. But it's all subjective about what feels right or feels legitimate.

This is a pretty cool idea that would be very interesting to follow up on, although Brevoort also says that this 1959 team was in the cooker from Bendis and Chaykin for a few years, developed without knowledge of the Agents of Atlas – another 50s team featuring Namora that got a really cool revamp as well. With any luck, that should lead to some Avengers 1959/Agents of Atlas crossover title with Namora at the center of things.

Also of note in the interview is Brevoort's response to the amount of heat Marvel's been taking for cancelling Guardians of the Galaxy and Nova, developments which elicited angry responses from the fans of Cosmic Marvel.

The truth is, we don't hate Cosmic. We have big plans for "Nova" and "Guardians," but we're just not quite at the point where we're able to tell you about them yet. Sometimes this stuff takes time. And we'd love to be at the point where we could tell you so you’d stop beating us up about it, but we can’t do that until all of the pieces involved are properly in place. Cosmic fans can rest easy that there are plans down the line involving Nova and the Guardians in a major, massive, significant way. And as soon as we're in position to reveal what they are, we will. I know this will do nothing to stop them from pillaring me even further, but at least I've said my piece.

We Guardians fans will have to take comfort in this, and cross our fingers in the hopes that we'll get Star-Lord back sometime soon. If we can get Phyla-Vell, Moondragon and Drax back from the dead, too, all the better. Dare we hope to see the return of Phyla's brother Genis-Vell, too? Now that's just wishful thinking.